The present invention relates to image forming apparatuses and particularly relates to image forming apparatuses configured to additionally and optionally include option machines such as a sheet feeder and a post-processor on a side-face side of an enclosure of a main machine capable of functioning as a multifunction machine by itself.
Along with increasing demands for large-volume printing (production printing) and development of more sophisticated and diversified post-processing functions these days, image forming apparatuses (hereinafter they may be called simply “apparatuses”) additionally include option machines such as a large-capacity feeding cassette, a saddle finisher, a bookbinding machine and a stacker on a side-face side of an enclosure of a main machine capable of functioning as a multifunction machine by itself, and so the apparatuses tend to become larger in size. These added option machines are still operated in a centralized manner using an operating panel provided at the main machine.
In such an apparatus, the position of an operating section in the entire apparatus (hereinafter the position may be called an “operating position”) varies with the attachment state of the option machines. As for the appearance of the apparatus including enclosures (cabinets), the apparatus has a unified whitish color that is muted and match with any office environment, and the apparatus even with the option machines attached thereto is configured to create a sense of uniformity using a similar tone of colors of the apparatus as a whole. In such a circumstance, the operating position is sometimes ambiguous for users unfortunately. Especially a user in a wheelchair has to find the operating position from a lower position of eyes, and it is difficult for such users to tell the position of the operating section when they are accessing the apparatus from a distance, thus retarding the users from reaching a target position and degrading the operability.
For instance, Japanese Patent No. 3974625 and Japanese Patent No. 4333965 show a so-called in-body copy receiving type image forming apparatus configured to differentiate the surrounding of an in-body copy receiving section from the entire apparatus in color and brightness so as to clarify the position of the in-body copy receiving section.
The techniques described in these documents, however, are aimed to improve the viewability of sheets output to the in-body copy receiving section or to avoid the impression of fragile of the apparatus as a whole, and are not aimed to clarify the position of the operating section.
In view of the problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus allowing a user to easily access an operating section even in a large-size apparatus.